No Escape

It was Wednesday morning. Maureen knew both bitches would be at work. She dressed in a pair of jeans and a blue T-shirt and headed across the street. She entered the office. It was filled with a spicy aroma she couldn’t put a name to. She rang the bell on the counter and out came a dark, petite woman. “Can I help you?” she asked in a heavy Indian accent. “Yes, I’m new to town and was wondering if you were in need of a housekeeper,” Maureen said, putting on her best smile. “Actually, we are looking for one. I just hired a lady to replace the one who moved out of the area, but she hasn’t really proven to be a very good worker. She keeps calling out sick. Have you done housekeeping before?” “Yes,” she lied. “Well, we don’t have formal job applications or anything like that, so as long as you’re okay with being paid under the table, you can work today and see how you like it.” She liked the idea of being paid under the table very much. That way, she wouldn’t have to pay any taxes. And why should she? It was her money that she would earn herself, so why should she pay for schools in which she had no children to attend, to repair roads she may never travel on, or to upkeep hospitals she’d never stay in? “That would be wonderful, although I can only work a few days a week.” “Just a few days a week?” asked the woman. Maureen nodded. “I’m afraid so. I have to watch my niece on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and weekends.” The truth, of course, was that she didn’t want to work when they would be here to possibly recognize her. She could change her hair color, but she couldn’t change her face. Then again, if she could get into the room before Shania returned to it, today would be all she’d need. The woman hesitated, apparently unsure of what to do. “I’ll talk to my sister,” Maureen quickly assured her. “I’m sure she can make other arrangements so I can work full-time. She has a lot of friends here.” “Okay, why don’t we just take it one day at a time then?” the woman agreed. “My husband and father-in-law are out cleaning rooms right now. We’ll go talk to them and they can show you what needs to be done. Every Friday, you’ll come here for your pay. That will be minimum wage. Is that okay?” “Sounds good,” Maureen said. The woman had her write down her name, address, and phone number on a piece of paper. The “address,” of course, was a made-up one, and the phone number was that of her cell phone. When this was done, she took her to where her husband and his father were working on a room that was somewhat close to the office. In rapid Indian, she filled them in. The two men gave Maureen a polite nod. Maureen smiled. In English, the woman’s husband said, “I’ll let Dad finish up on this row and I’ll get you started over there.” He pointed to the other row that ran more vertically to the highway. Perfect. It was where Shania’s room was. The lanky man took her to the supply room and stocked a cart with sheets, towels, soap, trash bags, toilet paper, and other items they’d need. Then he took her to the first room on the left side of the strip. It was about six doors away from Shania’s, who was toward the middle of the strip. Room thirteen, she noted with amusement. “Pardon me?” “What… oh… nothing, sir.” She hadn’t realized she’d giggled aloud. They worked for hours. When they reached Shania’s room, Maureen had to do all she could to hide her curiosity. “Get a lot of strange guests?” she asked. “Or are they usually nice?” “Mostly nice people,” the guy answered. “Every now and then, we get some drunk or disorderly person, but mostly nice folks. The ladies in this room are cousins. Just moved here from Nevada.” Nevada, huh? she thought to herself. If the poor man only knew! Suddenly, she was becoming concerned that they wouldn’t finish the row of rooms before Shania got in just before 5:00. It was already 3:45. “How much longer do you suppose it’ll take to finish up?” “Oh, perhaps an hour. Most of the remaining rooms aren’t even occupied.” Maureen nearly let out a highly audible sigh of relief but caught herself in time. “Are you enjoying the job?” the man asked her. “Oh, yes, very much so.” But of course, she hated it. Cleaning was not something she liked to do. She’d rather live in layers and layers of dirt and dust before she picked up a dust rag or touched a vacuum. If her apartment back down in San Diego didn’t have a dishwasher, she’d use nothing but paper plates and cups, and plastic silverware. “You can finish up in here while I get started on the next room,” the man said. “Just remember to close the door before you come over.” “No problem,” she said with a smile. She didn’t want to risk snooping around the room just yet, so she scurried to finish scrubbing the tub, then went to leave. Before she did, she stuck her head out the door to make sure no one was watching. When she failed to spot anyone, she stuck a piece of paper in the door to keep it from locking on her way out. They finished at 4:45, much to her relief. The only problem now was getting back into Shania’s room without being seen. The woman was in the office, which was in plain view of Shania’s door, and the two men were chatting just outside the supply room, also in plain view. Suddenly, the woman came out and yelled something to them in Indian. The men then followed her to their living quarters located behind the office. Thank you, God, she thought, scrambling for Shania’s door. It pushed open with ease. She was in! Knowing Shania would be in any minute, she tossed the paper she used to keep the door from locking into a wastebasket, then ran and hid in the bathroom. She could do her snooping later, though she couldn’t imagine what she would find that would be of any use to her. All they appeared to have were normal, everyday items — just clothes, toiletries, and a handful of books, although there was a laptop on the desk which may later prove interesting. She stood in the bathroom, heart pounding in anticipation of the showdown to come, and thought of her lost job, her hopeless romances, her uncle, and the child she never had. Shania glanced over at the guy who was to relieve her at the end of her shift. “All set?” she asked him. “Yes, I’m ready to hit the job, so you can leave anytime you want.” “Okay, then. See you Friday.” “So long, Angela.” Shania headed out into the warm sunshine. It was now August, nearly four months since the horror-filled night she was yanked from the jail and committed to the hospital. She wondered how their lives would be once it was safe to return to San Diego. Would Maureen always be a threat to them? If anyone was unstable and in need of being institutionalized, it was her. Maureen really seemed to truly believe that it was she who had caused her miscarriage and her uncle’s death, and as long as she continued to believe this, she may always feel vengeful toward her. All she could do was hope that by the time they did return, Maureen would have moved on, no longer harboring any hatred toward her. Enjoying the too-short walk back to their motel room, she deliberately walked slowly to make it last, although she knew she should walk briskly to the room and forget this lovely world outside. She watched a few bluebirds flitter about overhead, then noted the beauty of the wildflowers around her in shades of purples, whites, yellows, and oranges. They lined the sides of the dirt path she walked on until she reached the edge of the motel’s parking lot. A tiger swallowtail butterfly fluttered past as she glanced through the office window. Serena waved to her from behind the desk. She waved back. Inserting her key card into the door to her room, she stepped inside and let the door close behind her. Then she threw the deadbolt in place and turned around. As was always the case when she returned from work, the room was clean and tidy. The bed was made up nicely, the floor was vacuumed, the bathroom was scrubbed, and the kitchen trash was emptied, as she could see when she went back there. Except for one small piece of paper. Shania frowned, thinking it odd that they’d emptied the trash yet missed the piece of paper she reached for. It was a receipt for a bottle of hair dye at a local drugstore. But they hadn’t gotten anything at that particular store. Besides, she had dyed her hair before reaching Oregon and hadn’t even used the brand listed on the receipt. “Well, hello there, you murdering bitch.” Shania spun around with lightning speed, dropping the receipt. It fluttered silently to the tiled floor. No! This couldn’t be happening. She must be seeing things; she had to be. It was just her paranoid imagination. If she took a few deep breaths and blinked her eyes a few times, the apparition of the hateful and vicious Maureen Hoffritz that stood before her would vanish into thin air. But it didn’t. “Fancy meeting you here,” Maureen said with a menacing snarl as she slowly approached Shania. She came forward at a casual pace, hands tucked in the pockets of her pants. A slow smile spread across the snobby face as she joyfully took in the shock and fear that registered across Shania’s soft features. “What’s the matter?” Maureen laughed. “Cat got your tongue?” “H-how did you find us? How did you get in h-here?” Shania stammered. “Wasn’t that hard. I just eavesdropped outside your little lover’s place that she shared with that blond chick doing God knows what. Heard her mention this town one night on the phone through an open window and so I found the place on a map, drove up here, and was led by some guiding force right to your door. I ended up just across the street at Pretty Vista.” Shania suddenly remembered the woman staring at her at the store and the woman who had seemed familiar, leaving the room at the end of the motel across the street. Of course, the woman had seemed familiar. It had been Maureen all along! Only now it was a brunette version of the unstable woman. “So you see, Shania dear, something up there must want me to get you as bad as I do.” “Get out of here!” Shania yelled, fear turning to anger. “Shh. Not so loud. If they catch you, you’ll go to jail and so will she. Certainly, you don’t want that now, do you?” She let out a chilling laugh. “If anyone’s due to go to jail, it’s you, Maureen. You framed me as a dangerous nut and then you broke in here and…” “I didn’t break in here. I work here. I was hired this morning to clean rooms here on a day-to-day basis, under the table.” She took a step closer. “You made my life a living hell. You killed my unborn child and my uncle,” she hissed, jabbing a finger painfully into Shania’s bony chest. “I killed no one!” “I could turn you in to the authorities right now, and that’s just what I plan on doing, but first, you and I are going to have a little heart-to-heart. Then, before I feed you to the wolves, I’m going to kick your little ass and claim self-defense to the cops. I’ll tell them that you tried to kill me when you realized I found you and that I had no choice but to hurt you to keep you from killing me.” Although Maureen was bigger than her, Shania was in no mood for any heart-to-heart with this lunatic, and she certainly was in no mood to return to the hospital or to go to jail either. Survival instinct kicked in, giving her a strength she didn’t normally have. Just as Maureen went to strangle her, Shania’s fist shot straight out in front of her like a rattlesnake going to strike its victim, and she punched her as hard as she could on the bridge of the nose. A fine mist of blood sprayed her pale pink sundress. Maureen howled in pain. She obviously didn’t expect to get what she just got. Not wanting to risk anyone hearing them, Shania reached for a large can of ravioli that sat nearby on the counter and slammed it into the back of Maureen’s head with all her strength. The girl slumped to the floor and remained silent and motionless. Shania began to tremble uncontrollably as she watched the blood slowly trickle from the head wound she’d inflicted. Apparently, it was a very deep gash. She dropped the can. It hit the floor with a dull thud, and so did she a second later. She sat against the wall, slowly rocking back and forth, staring at Maureen’s now lifeless body in utter disbelief. How could this happen to her? Wasn’t this the sort of thing that only happened on TV, in books, or to other people? And why her, for God’s sake? What had she done to deserve this? Maureen’s partially open eyes stared accusingly at her as she continued to rock back and forth, numb with shock. She hadn’t even heard Lauren enter the room until she came in from the back and began murmuring, “Oh my God. Oh my God,” over and over again. On shaky legs, Shania stood up and threw herself into Lauren’s arms. Lauren held her so tight that it hurt, but she didn’t care. “It’s M-Maureen. She-she’s the one I saw. She’s been f-following me,” she stuttered. “She darkened her red hair.” “Okay, okay. Shh, calm down. Just take it nice and easy and tell me everything, but please, we must keep our voices down and not lose our composure. Come on, let’s move up front.” They sat on the bed where Shania, through shaky tears, told her everything Maureen had told her and what had transpired in the room afterward. “What are we going to do?” she asked in a panic. “What if we end up in prison for life?” “We won’t if we keep our cool and use our heads. The first thing we have to do is get rid of her,” Lauren said. “Get rid of her where?” “Shh, let me think.” Lauren put a hand to her forehead in deep concentration. Shania wrapped her arms around herself and gently rocked back and forth. “The mountain,” Lauren finally said a moment later. “The mountain?” Lauren nodded. “There’s hardly anyone up there on Bly Mountain, from what I hear.” “Where is this mountain?” “About a half-hour away, maybe a little more. You say she’s been staying in the room on the end across the way?” Shania nodded. “We’d better hope she didn’t tell anyone where she was staying.” “But certainly she told someone of her plans to come after us.” Lauren nodded in agreement. “That’s why we’ve got to get her out of here.” “But how are we going to do that?” “We’ll take care of it tonight.” “But these parking lots are lit up as bright as day.” “Well, we can’t just leave her here, Shania, and we can’t call the cops and claim self-defense. Even if they believed you were only defending yourself, they’d still get us on the escape warrants. Getting rid of her may be riskier than turning ourselves in, but I don’t think so.” “Then what do we do?” “We start with getting those bloody clothes off of you. Get changed and I’ll go out before the stores close and get a blanket and a shovel.” “I can’t stay here alone with her. I’m going with you,” Shania insisted. “Okay, come on then. Hurry up and get changed.” When the two returned from the store, they wrapped Maureen’s body in the blanket they’d bought, along with Shania’s bloody clothes. “Careful not to get any blood on your own clothes,” Shania warned Lauren. “I’ll be careful.” “How are we going to see what the hell we’re doing up on the mountain tonight?” “We’re not. We’re just going to get her up there tonight. Tomorrow after work, we’ll go back and bury her.” “You sure no one will spot her before then?” “Pretty sure,” said Lauren. “From what they tell me, the woods up there are both remote and thick. What other choice do we have anyway?” Shania could think of none other. “I backed the car up to the room’s door. We’ll put her in the trunk around midnight and then we’ll head up there.” “Do you know where to go?” Lauren nodded. “I’ve got a map. It looks pretty straightforward from what I could tell. You practically follow the same road from here to the mountain. Then once we get onto the mountain, we’ll pick a spot from there. We just have to make sure we remember the way back to the spot tomorrow afternoon.” “How long do you think it’ll be before she’s discovered?” Lauren looked thoughtful as she bundled Maureen up as tightly as she could and secured the blanket around her with ropes. “If all goes well, never. If it doesn’t, then perhaps it’ll be years from now. People aren’t in a hurry to build on that mountain. Because of the elevation, it gets awfully cold and snowy up there in the wintertime. A lot of people would be worried about mountain lions and bears being up there, too.” “As if we wouldn’t be,” Shania muttered. “What if the wildlife gets to her?” “Then there may not be much evidence left if they destroy enough of it, but hopefully she’ll stay put for as long as we live.” The two sat back down on the edge of the bed and held each other tightly. A deep sense of fatigue overwhelmed them both. After a while, Shania softly said, “I once heard someone talk about how they wondered what it would be like to kill someone.” “And?” “And how come I don’t feel anything?” “Perhaps because you know she would have killed you if you hadn’t killed her first.” “Perhaps.” When midnight rolled around, Lauren went out to open the trunk of the car. “I don’t need your help carrying her,” she told Shania when she returned. Shania watched without emotion as Lauren loaded Maureen’s bundled body into the trunk. She was more worried about the old junker breaking down on the way to the mountain than she was about getting caught. Once they were on the road, Lauren said, “I got the key card to her room from her pants pocket, plus a hundred bucks in cash.” “What would she be doing with that much cash on her?” Shania wondered aloud. “Who knows and who cares. What’s important is that we get all her stuff out of her room when we get back. That way, she’ll appear to be missing and not missing with foul play added to the picture. Get it?” Shania nodded. “But what if she told anyone else where we are? Even if we move, they’ll get us at work unless we change jobs, too.” “I don’t think she told anyone else where we are. I think she may have told people we’re in Oregon, but not which motel we’re at or where we work.” “How can you be so sure?” “I can’t, but I’m willing to bet that it’s a reasonable assumption. That’s information you’d give the police. What good would it do her to tell her friends or family our exact location? I say that if she told anyone where we are, it would have been the cops, and they’d have nabbed us by now. If things go well, all the police will learn is that she found out where we are and came up to see us, obviously wanting to deal with us on her own terms, before she went missing. Remember what I said about cops suspecting a person of something as opposed to suspecting them and having the evidence to prove their guilt.” “But we’re not guilty of anything here,” Shania said. “We weren’t at first, but we are now. You may’ve had the right to defend yourself, but neither of us has the right to bury a dead body without reporting it any more than we had the right to run from Lakeview. We’re in this together until the end, however it ends.” Shania looked over at Lauren’s darkened profile, eyes aglow with love and admiration. “Words cannot possibly describe the love I feel for you right now for sticking by me through all this shit. Oh, Lauren, I love you so, so very much.” Shania could see Lauren’s eyes begin to shine with tears. “I love you too, babe,” said Lauren. “With all my heart and soul.” They drove through the darkness and up to the summit of the mountain. They finally settled on a place in an area off the gravel roads where the vegetation was extremely dense — so dense that they themselves could barely navigate through the towering pines and junipers. “Change of plans,” Lauren said. “What’s that?” “I’ve got a heavy-duty flashlight here. Let’s just get her buried tonight. Less chance of being seen this way if we come here only once, and when it’s dark. I’m sure we’ll both feel better if we get it out of the way tonight, anyhow. Then all we’ll have to do is get rid of her stuff.” “Are we going to bring it up here?” “No, we’ll dump it in a dumpster somewhere. For now, shine the light in front of us while I carry her.” They chose an area about a hundred feet from the road. “Don’t dig too close to the trees,” Shania told her. “You’ll get hung up on roots.” “I know.” They quickly scanned the area with the flashlight. They agreed on a spot a moment later and Lauren began to dig while Shania held the light steady. Such a lovely resting place, Shania thought bitterly. She looked down at Maureen’s blanketed body with disdain. All this hell she’d gone through and all because of this one hateful person who couldn’t simply leave others alone to live in peace. Everything had to be her way or no way. Shania knew she could never feel pity or remorse for Maureen. As far as she was concerned, the girl had lived by the sword and had died by it. If she could’ve accepted that old saying about how you win some, you lose some, back when Miss Daly gave her the promotion, fair or not, Maureen would still be alive and her own life wouldn’t have been turned upside down and inside out. Yet because of Maureen’s greed, jealousy, and hate, she was dead and Shania’s own life was in shambles. Her mother had once told her to simply walk away and ignore those she disliked, and that was a bad influence on her. Little did she know she’d one day have to kill someone to do just that, since some people refused to be ignored. How many other venomous people like Maureen would she have the misfortune of encountering in her lifetime? she wondered. Because the ground was so hard and rocky, it took hours to dig a sufficient grave. It wasn’t as deep as they’d like, but it wasn’t shallow enough for the next rain to pack the dirt down enough to expose pieces of their secret. “Why not just let the wildlife have her?” Shania had asked. “Because they may not destroy enough of her. They could leave enough for someone to spot and for a murder investigation to begin. One that we’d be right smack in the middle of because somebody’s got to know she came here looking for us, just as you said.” Shania tried not to think of the lions and bears that could be in the area as Lauren finally, after what seemed like forever, dropped Maureen’s body into the makeshift grave and began to pile dirt on it. The sun was just coming up when they finally finished and drove back down the mountain.